youngsters step up to secure 4th place

Morpeth Harriers' Young Athletes squad achieved a much better result in their second round NEYDL Division 2 Match held at Shildon 2000 Stadium on Sunday 21 May.
In their first fixture at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium, a weakened squad had finished sixth of eight, however on this occasion, they not only improved by two team places to fourth, they also amassed a grand total of 576 team points, an improvement by 163, which can still be further improved upon with two matches remaining.
Only 33 points divided Morpeth, and third-placed combined squad Houghton/Derwentside, and Tyne Bridge.
Calls for more participation across the three age groups and two genders by Team Managers David Swinburne (Male), and Julie Roche and Judith Nutt (Female), had obviously not fallen on deaf ears, and a greater turnout had brought a vast improvement.
There was great improvement from the Under 13 Boys, who had five athletes in action.
Ewan Line secured an excellent win in the 1500m, posting a time of 5m10.14s, and Jacob Thompson finished second in the B race in 5m45.08s.
Ewan also finished second in the A race of the 800m in 2m32.0s, being backed up in the B race by newcomer Josh Storey, who finished fourth in 2m49.19s.
Line also contributed well in the 200m B race, finishing second in 31.3s, backing up Daniel Vermass’s 31.2s in the A race, which saw him finish sixth.
Vermass showed his strength in the Field events, by clearing 1.34m to win the High Jump competition, and he was a very close second in the Long Jump, when he produced a best of 3.67m.
Morpeth’s Jamie Ellis finished third in the Discus with 10.5m.
The Under 13 Boys Day was well rounded off, by a victory in the 4 x 100m Relay, posting a time of 60.9s.
Morpeth also had five Under 13 Girls in action on the day.
Their best result came courtesy of Abi Potrac and Faye Heatley.
It was achieved in the Long Jump, where Potrac managed a best of 3.41m, which saw her finish third in the A String, whilst Heatley’s 3.40m, saw her win the B String.
Potrac also performed well on the track, finishing second in the 200m A race in 31.7s, and EmilyVermass, sister of Daniel, who was fourth in the B race in 35.8s.
Faye Heatley and Zoe Tomlinson teamed up in the 1500m.
Heatley finished fifth in the A race in 5m46.63s, and Tomlinson was second in the B race in 6m07.68s.
Anna Archibald finished seventh in the 100m A race in 16.4s, and fifth in the 800m A race in 3m05.72s.
Zoe Tomlinson worked hard in the Field events, finishing fifth in the Javelin with 6.42m, and also fifth in the Shot Putt with a best of 2.64m
Morpeth’s Under 13 Girls 4 x 100m Relay squad were fifth in 64.9s.
It was particularly pleasing to see William Hodgson back in action for Morpeth’s Under 15 Boys, after a spell of Rugby activity, and the sprinter announced his return with an excellent third in the 100m with 12.9s, and also a good second in the 200m in 25.8s.
Thomas Roche finished second in the 200m B race in 30.7s.
Unfortunately, Hodgson was only one of three Under 15 Boys who turned out, because in addition to the also aforementioned Thomas Roche, Daniel Scott was the only other Morpeth athlete who showed.
Scott finished third in the 800m A race in 2m30.11, Roche finished third in the B race in 2m40.06s.
The pair took on some Field activity, where Roche finished third in the A String Shot Putt with a best of 5.24m, Scott taking the B String with 5.23m.
Scott was third in the Long Jump, with his best effort of 3.87m.
On to Morpeth Harriers Under 15 Girls performances, where William Hodgson’s twin sister Alexandria was outstanding, producing A String victories in the Discus and Hammer events.
The North East Champion was well ahead of the opposition on both counts, producing respective throws of 19.3m and 42m.
Molly Roche produced a best of 10.8m for third place in the B String Discus.
Roche also partnered Emma Tomlinson in the Javelin.
Tomlinson secured fifth place in the A String, with a best of 9.71m, whilst Roche threw 6.09m for fourth place in the B String.
Staying with the Under 15 Girls throwing events, Megan Potrac Putted 6.42m for fourth place in the A String Shot, whilst Charlotte Marshall Putted 4.97m for third in the B String.
Abigail Kahn was Morpeth’s only Jump representative in the Under 15 Girls events.
She produced a best of 3.9m for fourth in the A String Long Jump.
Meanwhile in the Under 15 Girls Track events, Megan Potrac finished second in the A String 800m in 2m43.99s, and Charlotte Marshall was fourth in the B String in 2m59.69s.
Emma Tomlinson finished third in the A String 1500m in 5m20.82s, and Molly Roche won the B race in 5m36.26s.
Tomlinson also finished fifth in the 300m A race in 52.6s.
Abigail Kahn finished seventh in the 100m in 14.4s, sixth in the 200m in 30.4s.
Morpeth Harriers Under 15 Girls 4 x 100m squad finished fifth in 61.4s.
The clubs five Under 17 Men who turned out managed to put a set of respectable results together, to add to the progressing tally on a hot day.
Elliot Kelso won the 1500m in 4m20.27s, from fellow club colleague Oliver Tomlinson, who took the B race in 4m25.84s, thus confirming a Morpeth double win.
Also competing for the club in the 1500m was Harry Armstrong, who with his time of 5m06.31s, was fifth fastest in the three- and three-quarter lap event.
Harrison Scott and Conner Phillips were the Morpeth partners in the 100m and 200m events.
Scott for his part, was third in the A String 100m in 12.3s, and second in the 200m in 24.3s.
Meanwhile, Phillips finished second in the B String 100m in 12.5s, and also second in the 200m in 24.9s.
Oliver Tomlinson also worked hard in the Field, pulling off an excellent win in the Discus, with a best of 18.2m, and finished second in the Javelin with 19.4m.
There were some excellent results produced by the six Morpeth Under 17 Women who turned out on the day.
Particularly in the sprints, where Freya Caygill and Amy Longstaff dominated, with two double wins in both the 100m and 200m.
Caygill convincingly took both A races in respective times of 13.1s and 26.8s, whilst Longstaff took both B races in 13.5s and 27.8s.
Amelia Hamlin finished second in the A race of the 300m in 44.1s, and newcomer Anya Kelly did well when finishing fourth in the B race in 47.2s.
In the 800m, Morpeth’s Kate Kennedy finished second in 2m32.97s.
Victoria Hodgson, older sister of William and Alexandria won the 300m Hurdles in a modest 49.6s and was a very close second to Blyth/Alnwick’s Sadie Parker in the earlier run 80m Hurdles, posting a time of 12.6s.
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FINAL MATCH RESULT
1st Birtley/Jarrow & H/Phoenix 769pts, 2nd Blyth/Alnwick 637.5pts, 3rd Houghton/Derwentside/Tyne Bridge 599.5pts, 4th Morpeth 576pts, 5th Chester Le Street/Durham 558pts, 6th Blaydon/Wallsend/Gosforth 368pts, 7th Middlesbrough AC 343pts, 8th Tynedale/Prudhoe 286pts.